The physical toll of athletics

This is copied from the "if you must..." section, and it is boxing related, but I want to tie it to baseball, Darryl Kile, and medicine in baseball ----

(Copied)-----
A few things - Did everyone lose the first round of the fight on PPV?
Anyway... for those of you who shelled out the 39.95 (Sal and Me apparrently), on the undercard there was a fight between WBO 112 lb champion Fernando Montiel and WBO 115 lb Champion Pedro Alcazar. For those of you who missed the fight, Montiel danced and dominated 3 of the first 4 rounds, but Alcazar started in with a solid body attack in the 4th and began to slow Montiel down. However, Alcazar slowed WAY down in the 5th, and in the 6th didn't throw a punch, just blocked. The ref stopped the fight, and awarded Montiel the title at 115. Alcazar looked crushed and started crying. However, Alcazar recovered and spent Sunday sightseeing.
Pedro Alcazar died in his Vegas Hotel Room today. Pedro Alcazar was 26.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/news/2002/0624/1398524.html

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I want to relate this to Darryl Kyle, because in a way, both are related, and I'd like some comment. Few of us can ever know the pain that athletes, boxers, football players, baseball players, or others, go through each day in a quest to perform. There's aches and pains involved in the contests that athletes brush off in a quest to continue. In Alcazar's case, he got immediately sluggish in the ring. In Kile's case, he complained of shoulder pain the night before. Both attributed it to the normal aches, pains, wear, and tears of sporting life.

One of the great surprises to me is that athletes in professional sports are not subject to constant mandatory testing at the hands of team physicians. Not for "death prevention" per se... but rather for the sake of human safety.

Does anyone know what advances have been made in the recent years in terms of constant physicals, heart and body system monitoring, and general athlete maintenance with regard to prevention of injuries, not reaction to them?

-Cp

[Skip]

Originally posted by CpUltravox
One of the great surprises to me is that athletes in professional sports are not subject to constant mandatory testing at the hands of team physicians. Not for "death prevention" per se... but rather for the sake of human safety.

Does anyone know what advances have been made in the recent years in terms of constant physicals, heart and body system monitoring, and general athlete maintenance with regard to prevention of injuries, not reaction to them?[/b]

This has always gassed me too. These guys are there all the time right; so why cant people stay on top of things. Not that this would neccessarily have stopped a Kile situation, but still ....

[soxfan121]

The flip side of this is that an athlete like DK has a right to privacy and the right not to be poked, prodded, and monitored more than is absolutely necessary.

I can imagine that professional athletes already have to undergo numerous physical examinations, treatments for minor injuries, and physical therapies to keep themselves in peak condition. To add an 'early warning system' or additional pokes and prods would probably be met with resistance by a group of people who feel that they are being responsible for their physical condition.

In the case of DK, the guy had been hit in the face with a batted ball and needed stitches, but finished his outing on the mound and then went to get the stitches put in. Everyone praises him for being a "classic tough guy". Who knows how severe the pain he had in his shoulder and upper chest was the night before - but the guy was not the kind to "complain" about an injury. In fact, I'm sure that manuy players conceal minor injuries to avoid having to undergo the pokes, prods, and invasions associated with a medical exam.

Some people have an anti-doctor attitude or phobia (and that is their right, professional athlete or not). You can lead those horses to water, but you can't make them drink the barium for a colonoscopy.

[sweaver]

Originally posted by soxfan121
You can lead those horses to water, but you can't make them drink the barium for a colonoscopy.

Woo-hoo! That hit me where I live.

I am surprised something didn't come up at the annual physical I assume that professional athletes must have. It should be a contractual obligation.

Well, they've got clauses preventing certain kinds of recreation in contracts, why would it be obscene to have a clause that required a twice monthly physical examination or something?

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by soxfan121
You can lead those horses to water, but you can't make them drink the barium for a colonoscopy.

I don't think it could have been put any better than this. Sure, Kile could have had tests done on his heart, and he probably should have given the fact that his father died at such a young age. A standard physical is one thing, but asking for more would have to be something for the players' union to decide. Ultimately, it's going to be up to the players.

As for the colonoscopy comment, it's uncomfortable and slightly embarassing to discuss, but it beats being dead.

[KCBOOMER]

When someone dies in athletics there is always a great hue and cry that "something must be done" but it always comes back to money. Somebody has to pay for this stuff, get it scheduled and then see that it happens. Undercard fighters can't afford this stuff.

You know in the case of the baseball players the Union would stand four square against mandatory health exams that included stress tests and invasive techniques.

A team can demand it of a player, if it's written into their contract, can't they? I don't know.

I look at the Jeff Kent case, our flavor of the day who some people with a pen want to drive out of San Fransisco. He had a clause saying he couldn't do x, y, and z, where x = riding his motorcycle, y = becoming a hells angel, and z = washing his truck in an open air washing bay. Now If the union negotiates a clause that the teams cannot dictate the free time of the players, would Kent's contract still override that? If he rode his bike, would he still be subject to the consequences of the contract?

By the same token, if the Yankees had said, "O.K. David Wells. We'll pay you 7 million a year, but we're going to monitor your cholesterol twice monthly. If it goes over a certain number, we have the right to make you see a weight loss specialist under the terms of your contract. If you refuse this, your salary for the time you refuse the specialist is 1 million, and if you go on the disabled list as a result of not seeing the specialist, your salary is 1 million"

That's a pretty drastic measure to take, admittedly, but it may just be risk aversion by the team. Wells goes for this deal because he has a 1 million guarantee with 7 million if he plays by the rules, over a straight 1 million deal from the D-Backs.

Does that have to be negotiated. If not... Hello Barium!

[cubfan33]

Physicals are required. Due to cost and privacy, while the physicals are "complete", there would have to be an unusual negative finding to force more disclosure. Kile, it's reported, had an EKG which came back normal. Kile - or anyone - probably wouldn't want an angiogram at that point. I can't think of a situation ... wait, Eli Marrero. I'm pretty sure his thyroid cancer was discovered in a "routine pre-season physical" tho I know no specifics. Were he not a Cardinal, I might be inclined to follow up on that more.

There is a funny story - funny only because he's fine now - about how Mike Lowell's testicular cancer was discovered. Let's just say it involved Mike, his wife, and a non-self examination of the area.
"You've got a big lump down there, baby."
"I know, baby, I know. It's all for you."

[Skip]

Originally posted by cubfan33
There is a funny story - funny only because he's fine now - about how Mike Lowell's testicular cancer was discovered. Let's just say it involved Mike, his wife, and a non-self examination of the area.
"You've got a big lump down there, baby."
"I know, baby, I know. It's all for you."

Why does a dog lick ... ohh nevermind!